


Three of them

by PerriewinkleNerdie



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 11:14:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20759447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerriewinkleNerdie/pseuds/PerriewinkleNerdie
Summary: His friends from med school come to visit and bring questions and feeling he never thought he'd have to face





	Three of them

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello, hello!   
This came to me as another of my ‘great’ ideas that appeared in my head, so here you go.   
Enjoy! <3

Sending doctors to other hospitals for a week or two so they could learn or teach, or both, was a quite common thing in the world of medicine.

That is how Ethan’s only two friends from med school, Derek Sledge and Anthony Grey, ended up in Edenbrook. It was a nice moment for the trio, they got each other’s backs through thin and thick. They kept in touch, but weren’t as close as they used to be.

All Ethan really knew about them was that Anthony was married and Derek had a girlfriend, but that was about it. He’s never seen them, he had no idea what their names were or how they met, what they were doing.

On the day of their arrival, Harper, along with Ethan, Zaid and Ines greeted them. The two man threw themselves at him and he had no choice but to accept it.

Harper filled them in on her vision of how this would work. Both of them would pick one intern of their choice and work alongside them.

A smirk appeared on Derek’s face as he looked at Anthony.

“I’m taking her.”

“She’s going to murder you, you know that.”

“Nah, she loves me, I love her. We’ll be fine.” Derek laughed and Anthony just shook his head.

Ethan had no idea who they were talking about. Derek was a surgeon and Anthony was a diagnostician. For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out which female surgical intern they could be talking about.

Because they were talking about the surgical intern, right?

The three of them went to his office for some coffee and to catch up. During the talk, Ethan found out that the two women in his friend’s lives are actually sisters. Anthony’s wife was older, Derek’s girlfriend was younger.

By the time they got to the main hall again, all the interns were already there, not expecting anything, paying attention to Harper up the front.

“… and each of them will chose one of you to tag along and help you work. The choice is up to them, don’t ask me why. Now, if our guests could come up to their chosen interns, that would be great. Let’s get to work, we have a lot of things to do after ll.” She laughed and the interns laughed along with her.

Ethan observed as Anthony approached Sienna, how her face lit up as she shook his hand. She wanted to begin, but he was stalling, looking back at Derek. That made Ethan’s eyes follow the same direction.

A surprised and quiet squeal ringed through the room and all eyes were on Derek who…

_… had Claire in his arms, hugging her from behind, twirling her in the air…?_

“Hey there, Tiny Herondale. You’re with me for the week. Excited?” his words went straight into her ear.

Her face twisted in mock disgust as she turned around and pulled him into a tight hug, kissing his cheek.

“Ew, why you?”

“I love you too, darling.”

“What’s wrong with Anthony? Why do I ger stuck with a scalpel jockey?”

“You wound me! Besides, I reserved the right to take care of you.”

She laughed out loud, tears forming in her eyes.

“_You’re_ taking care of _me_? Anthony!?” her head whipped around, her eyes pleading, taking a step towards him.

Derek’s arms went around her, pulling her against his chest.

“No, no, no, you are stuck with me. See you later, guys!” he called over his shoulder before pulling her with him in the direction she pointed towards.

Anthony and Sienna went too, leaving a very confused Ethan behind. He wasn’t sure what happened, his mind couldn’t gather all the information he was given, couldn’t do the math.

Claire was Derek’s girlfriend? All this time, she was leading him on? He hated the way he felt. The fact that the only woman who has ever made a lasting impression on him, was taken, and by one of his friends, was making him…

He couldn’t even find words to describe just how he exactly felt, everything he came up with crumbled into shambles as soon as it was formed, like a sandcastle by the sea, hit by the wave of water.

Fortunately for him, he didn’t have time nor the opportunity to see either of them for the next three days. He has ears, however. And the things he heard, the rumors that were flying all over the place, were enough to turn even his best day sour.

People were talking. Someone said they were dating for years. Someone said he came here just to propose to her, as they heard him and Anthony talking about a ring.

Someone supposedly caught them coming out of the supply closet, smug looks on their faces and…

Ethan’s eyes snapped open. He was pathetic.

Laying in his bed in the middle of the night, acting like an insecure teenager. Of course he could just go up to them and ask. That’s what a normal person could do.

But Ethan wasn’t a normal person.

He wasn’t sure where he stood with Claire. Their relationship was complicated, mostly because _he_ made it complicated. His mind was dead set on insisting that their feelings would interfere with their careers. He couldn’t see it any other way.

That’s probably why it stung so much when he looked at her and Derek. The way they were so comfortable around each other, the way he could hug her and carry her around, it stuck a wooden spike into his chest.

They were alone. And then Derek inserted himself into the equation, and there were three of them now.

\--------

Another day has come, and he had the unpleasant run in with them.

They were walking hand in hand, conversing quietly. Derek’s hand flew to her chart, pointing something, looking at her sideways. Claire laughed out loud, slapping his arm playfully. When she looked up and saw Ethan walking out of the patient’s room, her face lit up.

“Dr. Ramsey! Hi!” she called out his name, grabbing his attention.

His heart skipped a beat at the sound of her voice. He hasn’t heard it in so long, he almost forgot how much he loved it.

“Ramsey! Where have you been hiding? You promised me a drink, remember?” Derek laughed as they approached him.

“I had a lot of work.”

“Well, maybe how about we grab Anthony and go out for a drink tonight? Like in med school?”

“Uh… I have a late shift, sorry. Maybe another time?” he threw it quickly, before locking eyes with Claire for one more second and leaving them both behind.

“Dr. Ramsey!” she called out for him, but there was no response. “Ethan!”

He heard her steps behind him but didn’t stop. Then, a hand wrapped itself around his arm, yanking him backwards. He turned around and came face to face with her.

“Can we talk? You’ve been acting strange. I’m worried about you.” her face was frowning, and her eyes were laced with worry and pain.

“No need. I’m fine.” He took her wrist into his hand softly and put it back by her side before leaving, not looking back.

Claire walked back to Derek, confused.

“What was that about? I don’t understand.”

“I don’t know, Tiny Herondale. I really don’t know. Come on, we have patients to get to.” he smiled at her softly and pointed with his arm towards the hall.

\------

Derek was on a mission. He sensed something in Ethan’s behavior that he’d never though would be found there.

Jealousy.

He wasn’t exactly sure what happened that made him feel that way, and he had a plan to get him talking. And the plan was simple.

Get him and Anthony in the closed space, give him a couple of drinks. Make him talk, since he wouldn’t do it sober. Find out what troubles him and help him.

Knowing that he didn’t want to go to the bar, he came up with something different. If he didn’t want to go out drinking, drinking would come to him.

That’s how the two of them ended up at his apartment at 10 pm on a weeknight, sitting on his couch, nursing, what Ethan thought, was their fourth drink.

Derek could see the effect the alcohol had on his friend. His words were slurry, his gestures were chaotic.

“Ethan, what has been going on for the last few days? I don’t recognize you. Is something wrong?”

There was a moment of silence. Ethan was hunched over, his elbows resting on his knees; the golden liquid in his glass was swirled around by the movement of his hand. He let out a sigh before speaking.

“Claire and I… I thought we were getting somewhere…”

“I can’t believe it! Finally! Ethan Ramsey fell for a woman! Oh, what a great day it is!”

“I’m really happy for you, Ethan. She is a great woman. And, whatever happens, we have your back. We’ll be closer together than you think.” Derek slapped his back gently, congratulating his friend on admitting his feelings.

But Ethan seemed not to have heard them.

“… but now she’s dating Derek and I don’t know what to do…”

“Wait. What? What do you mean by that?”

Ethan turned his head towards his friend, expecting to see him scowl, but instead he saw a look of shock and a hint of a smile.

“Well, you two are close, obviously something is there between you two.”

“Ethan. I want you to listen to me very carefully. Claire is our Tiny Herondale. As in, the youngest of the Herondale sisters. She’s Alex’s and Louisa’s sister. “

“Alex and Louisa?”

“Alex is my girlfriend, the middle sister. Louisa is Anthony’s wife, she’s the oldest. The three of them are inseparable. All three of them are doctors, Alex and Louise are surgeons, Claire is a diagnostician. Claire has always been like a little sister to me. And to Anthony here too. We try spending as much time as the family together as possible, but because we don’t live in the same city, we don’t get to do a lot of that.”

“That makes sense. But what did you mean by “reserving your right”?”

Ethan was feeling a little better, but also, incredibly stupid. He knew that his behavior would come to bite him in the ass. A hint of a blush was on his cheeks, and he wasn’t sure if it was his embarrassment or the alcohol.

“We have a little tradition. Since we obviously spend a lot of time with our girls, once we see Claire, there is no way for all of us to get some quality time with her, there’s just too many of us. So, we came up with a system. Every time we go to see her, we play rock paper scissors, of all things. The winner gets to spend more time with her, since she is one of the greatest people we know, the prize is worth the fight. This time, I won.”

“Just like two times before that.” Anthony spoke up, punching Derek’s arm.

“Hey, I can’t help it, I’m just that good.” He raised his hands up in mock defense, before looking over at Ethan. “I’m really happy that she found you. You are a great guy, you’re perfect for each other.”

Ethan’s face fell a little.

“See, that’s the thing. We might be perfect for each other, but I don’t think it’s going to work. I’m her attending, she’s my intern. It’s complicated and I don’t think others will see it as anything other than unethical.”

Anthony looked at Derek. Derek looked at Anthony. And then, they lost it.

Tears were streaming down their cheeks as they laughed hysterically.

“I _knew _they had a type! It’s like their birthright!” Derek exclaimed, leaning on Anthony for support.

“What is going on, guys? What do you mean?” confusion was a common feeling for Ethan that evening.

“I was Louisa’s attending when we started dating. Derek here is still Alex’s attending. And now you are Claire’s attending. It’s almost too good to be true.” Anthony was laughing so much he was losing his breath.

Ethan was looking at his friends, amused, but soon he relented and laughed himself.

So their relationship really was something inevitable.

“You don’t get weird looks from people for it?”

“Why would we? It’s none of their business. And if you turn her down because of this, stop. Let yourself be happy. It doesn’t matter what people think.”

“Thank you.” Ethan smiled, looking between his two friends.

“Also, since we will be family one day, and don’t give me that look, I saw it in your eyes today, let us give you a heads up. Our ladies are amazing. But they are fierce. So be warned. We’ll help you, but it’s something you’ll have to figure out for yourself.”

“It’s nothing official yet. She still has to accept me, and it’s nothing certain yet.”

Anthony bumped his shoulder against Ethan’s, smiling widely.

“Trust us, it is certain. It will be okay.”

All he wanted in that moment was the feeling of certainty. Certainty, that she was his.

\---------

He expected to have a huge hangover the next day, but, surprisingly, there was nothing.

Walking down the corridor he heard rushed steps. Arms wrapped around him and he was about to push them off, when he realized that his attacker was actually Anthony.

“You remember that little thing we told you about our golden trio of Herondale sisters?”

“Yes, why?”

“They’re kind of here. Like, now. Come on, we have to go.”

“What?”

Panic took over him, his stomach dropping. _Now?_

A lot of people were gathered in the main hall. The word spread quickly, that the well-known trio stirred up some emotions among the doctors.

“I wish I could be their sister. They are so flawless and smart.”

“I would like to date one of them. Pity they are all taken.”

“I heard the youngest sister is coming with them. I wonder what she’s like.”

This made Ethan realize, that Claire has never mentioned her family, probably to avoid the backlash she would undoubtedly get from other interns for it.

The door opened and he felt Derek’s hand pat his shoulder.

“It’s showtime. Get ready.” He said quietly, turning his head towards the door.

Three women walked through the door, hand in hand, laughing, arms linked together.

Alex was on the left, Louisa was on the right, and Claire was in the middle. Whispers ran down around the room as the information that Claire was one of the sisters reached them.

Once they noticed their men standing on the side, they made their way to them, falling into the arms of their respective partners.

Louise and Anthony kissed, Alex and Derek embraced tightly, and Claire and Ethan… stood there, watching each other awkwardly.

The oldest sister broke away from her husband and moved to hug Ethan tightly.

“Hi! Ant told me so much about you! I couldn’t wait to meet you.” she greeted him, before stepping aside so Alex could say hello too.

Ethan’s eyes kept on straying towards Claire, his conversation with his friends ringing in the back of his mind. Alex caught on to his actions, gasping and laughing.

“Oh my god! You are totally –“Derek’s hand sealed her mouth turning her towards him and whispering to her something urgently.

“Oohh. Okay. Nice to meet you, Ethan.” She smiled sweetly at him, looking at him knowingly. He blushed, aware that she knew about his feelings for her sister.

Harper approached them to greet them briefly, a little surprised to see Claire among them, but ultimately smiling at them all.

After all the introductions, they went back to their duties, flying through the day. Somewhere in the middle of it all, when he had his break, spending it in his office, Claire stopped by, an enigmatic smile on her face.

“Are you busy?”

“No. What do you need?”

She sat down on the couch and he joined her, sitting next to her, their legs touching.

“I talked to Derek and he told me an interesting thing…” she started, looking at him intensively.

“Damn it…” a curse fell from his lips, under his breath.

“I actually appreciate his honesty. It gave me the answer to my question. You really thought Derek and I were dating?”

He was too embarrassed to say a word, so he just nodded.

“You were jealous, weren’t you?” another nod. He felt like a child, being scolded by a parent for his behavior. She must have noticed, because she put her finger under his chin and turned his head towards her, making it impossible for him not to look at her. “Talk to me, Ethan. I care about you and you don’t look so good. What is going on?”

“I had a long conversation with Derek and Anthony yesterday. They told me about your sisters and your relationship with the five of them. You’re right. I was jealous. Actually, I still am, but not for the same reason anymore. Because now I know that you are not dating Derek, so that has settled my mind and heart a little. What makes me jealous, is the fact, that they both can express their feelings openly. And it infuriates me.”

“Infuriates? Why?” there was confusion in her eyes.

“Because I don’t know if I am brave enough to do the same thing. Believe me, I want to, but I don’t know if I can. That’s my issue. I know how their situations resemble ours, but the main difference is my insecurity. I’m sorry, Claire.” He whispered the last words, all his emotions reflected in his blue eyes, staring at her, searching her face for her reaction.

Claire smiled softly before leaning in and capturing his lips in the softest kiss, like the wings of a butterfly touching him, barely there, yet so amazing, so real.

“If you want me, I can help you with this fear. I want to help you. Let me help you, Ethan. I’m here for you, I’m not going anywhere. If you want me to, I’d like to help you.” kissing his cheek, then other, before leaning back, allowing him a moment to gather his thoughts. But he didn’t need it.

His fingers traced the skin on her neck delicately, before his hand moved towards her face, cupping her cheek and pulling her close to him. Their lips met again, stronger this time, more confident, before separating.

Their foreheads touched, eyes closed, reveling in their closeness.

“I want you to be here with me. And I want to be here with you. I want you, Claire. Any way I can get you.” he whispered, tracing his index finger affectionately over her face. Then, he replaced his finger with his lips, covering every inch of her skin with kisses.

She laughed as his stubble tickled her, his lips pressing against her with the smallest force. It sounded like a thousand of wind chimes, the sweetest melody he’s ever heard. Her laugh triggered his own, being happy around her was so easy.

“I don’t care if people talk, Ethan. I know you don’t see it that way, but… I’ve seen the way my sisters act with boys and it got me thinking. If they could do it, be with a person that is important to them, despite everything, then why can I not do that?” she looked into his eyes, her gaze vulnerable. “You told me that some things are worth any risk. Here I am, Ethan, telling you that I want to take that risk. I want you to be my risk worth taking. No matter what.”

The room fell silent. Their eyes were still locked, the tension in the air was thick, hugging them like a blanket. Then, something in his face changed.

His features seemed to melt, getting smoother around the edges. He leaned towards her, not breaking their eye contact.

“No matter what.” He whispered before kissing her again, pulling her into his arms, sitting her down in his lap. She squealed with glee, smiling widely into the kiss, grabbing his face with her hands, locking him in place.

They spent the rest of their break talking softly, hugging and exchanging kisses in peace.

Once his shift was over, he once again joined Derek and Anthony by the entrance, both of them talking quietly when he approached them.

“We’re going to grab dinner with our ladies, want to join us?” Anthony shoot him a side glance, while Derek snickered teasingly.

“Uh, sure.”

“Wait, really?” Derek exclaimed, clutching his heart, wiping an imaginary tear from his cheek.

Before any of them could say anything, the three sisters approached them, in their everyday clothes. Ethan’s eyes moved across each of their faces, until they stopped at Claire’s, taking her appearance in.

She noticed that, because she stepped towards him, a question in her eyes. He understood, but didn’t answer, didn’t say anything. He let his actions do all the talking.

Grabbing her by her hand, he pulled her towards him gently, placing his other hand on her cheek, guiding her face so that their lips could meet. The kiss was soft and tender and so comforting that it brought a smile to his face without warning or permission.

She was the one to break the kiss, nudging his nose with hers playfully before hugging herself to his side, turning towards her family.

“Aw, Ethan, you wound me! And here I was thinking I was the reason you were coming with us tonight!” Derek laughed, but he was beaming with pride as he looked at the woman he considered his little sister and his best friend, finally happy.

“I’m sorry, Sledge, but not everything is about you, you know?” Claire pushed his shoulder lightly, laughing out loud.

“Okay! I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty damn tired and I could use some food right now. Everyone’s ready to go?” Alex exclaimed, and when all she was met with was nods and small sounds of agreement, she grabbed onto Derek’s arm and pointed with her arm towards the door.

Ethan and Claire were the last ones to walk out the door, taking their time, not caring about anything else, but each other.


End file.
